Alleged Genovese Mobsters Indicted For Multiple Mobster-y Crimes

The United States Attorney's Office announced this afternoon that several alleged members of the Genovese crime family have been indicted on multiple mobster-y crimes dating back to 2006.

In all, 11 people were indicted, including alleged Genovese Captain Conrad Ianniello, and several Genovese "soldiers" who also serve as ranking members of several labor unions throughout New York City.

According to the indictment, provided to the Voice by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ianniello attempted to extort vendors at the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy in 2008. Additionally, he and alleged Genovese associates Ryan Ellis and Robert Scalza are accused of attempting to extort a labor union into bailing on an attempt to organize workers at a company on Long Island. According to the feds, the goal of the extortion attempt was to have the International Union of Journeymen and Allied Trades, a union run by Scalza, organize the workers instead.

Two other alleged mobsters, Paul Gasparinni and James Bernardone, are
accused of conspiring to extort a subcontractor for work done at
construction sites in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens from 2006 to 2009 --
including work done at a Hampton Inn in Queens -- by threatening an unidentified victim.

Also named in the indictment is John Squitieri, who the feds say
embezzled money from employee pension funds of Local - 7 Tile, Marble
and Terrazzo of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers union.

Two others, alleged Genovese associate William Panzera and Robert
Fiorello, were charged with loansharking and extortionate collection of
money from a victim.

"Even as mob families seek and discover new ways to make money by
illegitimate means, they continue to rely on tried-and-true schemes like
extortion and gambling," FBI Assistant Director in Charge Janice
Fedarcyk says. "The mob's purpose is making money, and how is less
important than how much."

Everyone named in the indictment faces up to 5 to 20 years in prison for each count in the 18-count indictment.

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This is clearly Anti-Italianism. I want you all to know that I've contacted Dr. Philip L. DiNotti, President and co-Founder of the League of Americans of Italian Descent (LAID) and I've been told that he's working on suing this so-called FBI for discrimination.